Last Chance Comedy

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• 1. At 1:58pm on 20 Jul 2009, mrs_mourinho_i_wish wrote:

  Hi Piers,
  
  Thanks for Dan's article about Newsjack. Just one 'minor' point - Dan makes references to 'guys' sending good material in. Do I take it that women are not sending their jokes in to this show in any significant numbers or, if they are, their material is not as funny as the men's?
  
  Just wondered...
  
  Mrs M

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• 2. At 2:55pm on 20 Jul 2009, MaldwynP wrote:

  I think this refers to 'girls' as well.

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• 3. At 3:25pm on 20 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  I use the word guys myself to include both genders. It's not like the word is inherently sexist in itself, like referring to gentlemen's submissions to Newsjack.
  
  I don't think it's got any bearing on the sex of contributors.

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• 4. At 3:48pm on 20 Jul 2009, mrs_mourinho_i_wish wrote:

  Wasn't accusing anyone of anything sexist! Thanks for the response though.
  
  Mrs M

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• 5. At 4:15pm on 20 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  Didn't think you were... It's just that sexist language is one of my hobby-horses, and guys is one of the words that people swing both ways on whether or not it includes both genders. So the confusion's understandable. :)
  
  A Person Paper on Purity in Language I think makes the case for nonsexist language more strongly than just about anything else I've read.

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• 6. At 9:54pm on 20 Jul 2009, shining shadow wrote:

  Yes, 'guys' is a great example of a word that PC practiitioners and automatic liberals, of which the media is absolutely full off, among other stuff, have commandeered as one of their own PC gender friendly stock words, and yet its origin is a gender specific (male) word, and some evidently, as Mrs. Morhino, still think it is. My female boss uses this in mixed gender meetings and group messages, and yet just 30 years ago I clearly remember teachers using it only to refer to males, but I doubt today's teachers do. Such familiar addresses as 'guys and gals' of the past serve to confirm this word's original use. So Piers, forgive Mrs. Morhino and others for not being as modern and liberal as you and other media people like you who have stolen this word and by consistant misuse, sought to change its meaning. Personally I'd much prefer it if you would bother to create your own non-gender specific nouns instead of plundering and changing some of our long existing gender spcific ones. If you must be sensitive about this gender aspect, then please try harder to devise more original words which get round this problem. Or just stick to person/people/they.
  By the way, the other day, in an interview about their Ashes triumph, Clair Tailor referred to herself as a batsman, so not everyone is as hung up about it as you seem to be Piers, or as you seem to think everyone should be. What may be a hobby horse for you is very much a bug bare for many others. Unfortunately, I know which lot have the most influence on our (great) language.
  I will though, as you have taken the trouble to provide a link, see if there really is any sense at all in this rapidly growing movement towards using 'nonsexist' laguage (as you suggest there is in this paper. ((Although I've never thought of gender specific nouns and pronouns as being 'sexist' myself, not in any way, but I suppose there are others with much more extreme feelings about it).)
  And am I bothered by adverts and websites that refer only to females? No I'm not, though I come across them every week, and they are certainly not all on female only sites and subjects.

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• 7. At 10:13pm on 20 Jul 2009, the_germinator wrote:

  Shiningshadow, I suggest you post this on the 'Word of Mouth' board where it is likely to run and run.

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• 8. At 09:19am on 21 Jul 2009, mrs_mourinho_i_wish wrote:

  'A Person Paper On Purity In Language' etc.....I think there's a possible comedy sketch in here somewhere, Piers!
  
  Mrs M

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• 9. At 09:21am on 21 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  There's still another two-and-a-half hours to get a one-liner into Newsjack, Mrs M... :)

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• 10. At 1:41pm on 22 Jul 2009, think_write wrote:

  Hi Piers...I'm not quite sure where to put this post.
  
  I've hit a point where I would really like to try collaborating with another writer...or writers.
  
  Can you recommend a source where I can put the wheels in motion?
  
  Cheers
  Ed

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• 11. At 3:17pm on 22 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  I'd try leaving a message on a writers' messageboard or email newsletter in the first instance, see if you can find anyone else interested.
  
  Off the top of my head you could try The British Comedy Guide Forums, mandy.com, Shooting People, Talent Circle or the discussion boards on BBC writersroom facebook group.

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• 12. At 3:20pm on 22 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  Apparently we don't use the word "the" any more. We're too cool for the word "the" in our blog comments.
  
  Look! Over there!
  
  [quickly sidles away]

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• 13. At 6:29pm on 22 Jul 2009, shining shadow wrote:

  Piers I've looked at the article now and unlike you, I am totally unmoved, and a little surprised that you're expecting us to be. If this is the most convincing case you've read for nonsexist language, then you either don't read much (like a true writer) or you just read rubbish (no offence and all that). It's not even about sexist language but racist language (it briefly alludes to sexist language only in the last paragraph). It's one of these dreadful smartalec American pieces of 'hit you over the head' spoof realistic writing, or so called satires of some piece of unnacepted language use. Its message is as preachy as its style is windy, but I guess that's the American way. It really does, to use a quaint Americanism, suck.

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• 14. At 8:54pm on 22 Jul 2009, amk_minus wrote:

  'Its message is as preachy as its style is windy, but I guess that's the American way.' This is a generalisation in its self. The topic could go on and on.

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• 15. At 12:20pm on 23 Jul 2009, think_write wrote:

  This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.

• 16. At 10:44am on 27 Jul 2009, MaldwynP wrote:

  Any new competitions coming up for comedy writers, Piers?
  
  Regards

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• 17. At 12:49pm on 27 Jul 2009, Piers wrote:

  Nothing I'm aware of right now...

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